


The Seen and the Unforeseen

by thatstarlitsky



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fae & Fairies, Fae Magic, Faerie Myungjun, Human Jinwoo, M/M, Tír na nÓg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2020-12-20 16:03:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21059408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatstarlitsky/pseuds/thatstarlitsky
Summary: Lured by the sound of laughter, Jinwoo finds himself stolen away to the beautiful world of Tír na nÓg – the Land of Eternal Youth.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When ASTRO dropped their first set of All Light teaser photos, and my friend and I agreed that ASTRO looked like Faerie princes. It’s been ages since the album was dropped, but I like to get a good number of chapters written ahead of time before posting because I have a brutal track history of leaving subscribers in the dark or making them wait an eternity for an update when life yeets me into the netherworld of unwritten reality.
> 
> If you’re familiar with ancient tales of the Fair Folk, I hope this story does them justice. If you’re unfamiliar and reading for the sake of curiosity, I hope this story fills you with just as much wonder as traditional Faerie folklore gives me.
> 
> I tried to stick to one set of folklore (mainly Irish), but since Faerie stories vary and a lot of details have been lost over time, I think this one will have a little bit of everything, as well as some fact stretching and creativity. 
> 
> For some optional background detail, here’s the Myth of Oisin presented by TedED  
Myth of Oisin, Video by TedED - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nFcXcPldzY
> 
> If you want a theme song for this story, here you go – Eria by Two Steps from Hell  
Theme Song – Eria by Two Steps From Hell - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk6cy2AAvxY
> 
> Pronounciation Guide:  
Tír na nÓg – TEER (as in tear (cry)) nah - nohg (“No” with a g)  
Oisín – oh - SHEEN

The sound of a child’s laughter echoed through the trees. Jinwoo froze in fear, lifting his torch higher in an effort to see through the growing dusk. _I should go back_, the more sensible part of him whispered. But the laughter reminded him of the reason he’d stepped into the forest to begin with. The baker’s son, Hyunshik, had gone missing the day before, and was still nowhere to be found.

He turned, searching for the other villagers, but quickly found none. Jinwoo hadn’t realized he’d become separated from the search party. He hoped they wouldn’t need one for him now. With Hyunshik potentially this close, turning back didn’t feel like an option, but superstition kept him from going any further.

The forest was Fair Folk territory, and Hyunshik wasn’t the first to go missing within the trees. Bedtime stories in his little hamlet were always warnings about venturing too close to the woods at night, or worse, during the solstices. Faerie magic was strongest during these times, and as twilight fell over the forest little by little, Jinwoo couldn’t shake the fear that clenched his heart in a steel fist.

But the laughter couldn’t be ignored. If there was any chance it could be Hyunshik, Jinwoo had to put himself into danger. He had to make sure the boy got home. He would be replaced by a Changeling if he was gone much longer.

The laughter grew louder as Jinwoo pushed his way through the woods, not daring to call out in fear of disturbing the Fae. The iron coin against his chest felt reassuring, its uneven edges rough against his skin. Only iron hammered cold could repel Fae magic. The talismans were one of the first things his father had taught him to craft, and Jinwoo prayed the token would keep him safe. Fireflies danced in the growing light, but Jinwoo didn’t stop to appreciate their shimmering beauty. Shoving aside a particularly thick fern bush, careful not to break any of the branches, Jinwoo found his feet freezing beneath him. Standing at the edge of a clearing, he could easily take in the sight of a large ring of mushrooms surrounding an alder tree. At its center, chasing fireflies around the trunk, was Hyunshik, his laughter ringing out through the quiet night.

“Hyunshik, get away from there!” Jinwoo said as loudly as he dared, taking a step closer, but going no further. Trespassing upon a fairy ring was the fastest way to be cursed, and Fae magic was never merciful.

Hyunshik barely paused, his hands wrapping around a shining firefly as he looked over towards Jinwoo, his eyes sparkling like stars. He’d been enchanted, Jinwoo realized faintly. He’d stayed inside the fairy ring too long, and now he’d been taken by the Fae. A sensible person might’ve walked away and returned to the village and inform them that Hyunshik had been lost to Tír na nÓg. They’d mourn for seven days and seven nights and burn rowan wood in their hearths to keep the Fae from stealing any more children.

But Jinwoo couldn’t just leave him. Faerie magic could be broken by walking through a rowan wood doorframe, or with the touch of cold iron. In the worst cases, sprinkling the coals of sacred fire over the victim’s body would undo the most stubborn of enchantments. There was still a chance he could be rescued. He didn’t want to mourn Hyunshik – he wanted to save him.

Jinwoo clutched his iron coin in his hand, whispering a prayer to Anu, asking for her protection and guidance before stepping over the ring of mushrooms. In an instant, the evening songs of the forest – the crickets, the whip-poor-wills, and the faint babble of a brook – vanished. Jinwoo was left in absolute silence.

“Hyunshik,” he said quietly, holding out his hand and trying to ignore the fiery prickle in his skin. “Let’s go home – quickly. You don’t want to disturb the Fair Folk.”

Hyunshik’s head tilted to the side, the firefly he’d caught in his hands floating away with a lazy sway and fading from sight. Shining eyes met his, and Jinwoo saw what he hadn’t seen before.

“Y-You’re not—” He realized – too late – the child wasn’t Hyunshik.

The Faerie laughed, reaching for him before Jinwoo had the chance to slip away. The hand he’d offered to the child was grabbed by one that was far too hot and sent sparks shooting to his shoulder.

“Let’s go home,” the Faerie said, his false, child-like voice ringing out as the wind thundered through the trees.

Jinwoo felt the ground collapse beneath his feet, and the roar of wind and water filled his ears as he fell through the earth. The hand vanished, along with the false Hyunshik. He’d been tricked, and his iron coin had done nothing to keep the Faerie’s glamour from infecting his eyes.

Sooner than he expected, his feet touched ground. His knees buckled underneath him, and Jinwoo landed face down in soft grass. His heart racing, Jinwoo rose to his feet and wiped the dirt off his cheek.

He was still inside the fairy ring, but instead of an alder tree at his back, it was a large willow with blue flowers growing alongside pale green leaves. With each breath of wind, the flowers brushed together, a soft ring akin to chimes filling the air and harmonizing with the gentle rush of a nearby river.

Stepping over the ring of pale white mushrooms, careful not to disturb them, Jinwoo parted the willow branches, listening to the gentle clinks of the flowers as they chimed their melody. He really_ was_ in Tír na nÓg. Jinwoo let out a shaky breath, his eyes darting to the bright yellow butterflies he’d disturbed when he’d moved the branches, to the pink sky, stained orange with the sunset. Trees and colourful wildflowers dotted the meadow, and over a distant hill, a gold palace pierced the sky alongside a mighty tree.

Jinwoo retreated back under the canopy of willow flowers, the jingling making his head spin. He shook it off, clutching his temples. How could he have been stolen away to Tír na nÓg? He prayed to Anu once more, touching his eyelids with his iron coin, going as far as to brush the edge along his eyelashes in an effort to simultaneously burn and wipe away the spell his eyes had obviously been put under.

But when he opened his eyes again, there was still the willow tree and the plush, green grass beneath his feet. Jinwoo dropped the coin back against his chest, wondering what to do. Would he need a Faerie’s help to return home? Had any human left Tír na nÓg since the days of Oisín?

_Oisín died, too_, Jinwoo thought numbly, pressing his hands to his face. Jinwoo might never see his family again. He’d gone missing, just as Hyunshik had. Jinwoo wondered how long people would look for him, or if they would give up and mourn him for seven days and seven nights along side the baker’s youngest.

He had to get home.

No sooner than he settled on this thought, he began to hear singing. Afraid it was another Faerie trick, Jinwoo clapped his hands over his ears, not wanting a fresh spell to sink over him. The iron on his chest was warm, and Jinwoo took it as a blessing that maybe it was absorbing any magic the music was producing. But as the words grew more distinct, Jinwoo found that even his iron coin couldn’t keep him from wanting to listen.

Slowly, Jinwoo lowered his hands, a shiver running from the top of his head down to his toes. It was one of the Fae, surely it was. Jinwoo should stay away, but he was torn between standing still and listening, and the desire to press himself against the bark of the willow and pray to Anu until he slipped back to the world he belonged in. But Jinwoo was human, and when it came to the Fair Folk, there was curiosity, reverence and awe next to the fear. Parting the branches of the willow just enough to peek through them, Jinwoo felt the air slip from his lungs.

The Faerie wasn’t very tall, yet his limbs were slender and elegant even without the height. His hair was like a field of ripe wheat in the heat of summer, and his fair skin glowed in the evening sun. Plush lips formed words to an ancient melody Jinwoo didn’t know the words of, but felt desperate to learn and understand. Clothing made from waves of shimmering jade and white silk embroidered with gold thread hugged his small frame. Jinwoo felt his heart beat faster. The Faerie’s beauty was more enrapturing than any woman he’d witnessed in his hamlet.

Jinwoo shook it off, letting the willow branches snap closed once more, the sparkle of windchimes drowning out the singing. This was dangerous. He’d only been in Tír na nÓg a handful of minutes, and he was already getting enamoured by the Fair Folk. He had to get home right now – he couldn’t stay a moment longer.

The jingle of willow branches surprised him, and Jinwoo nearly stepped on a mushroom as he backed away. He thanked Anu for her mercy. He didn’t dare think about how bad the curse would be if he damaged a fairy ring inside Tír na nÓg. But the problem remained. The Faerie was peering through the willow branches, his cheeks cupped by the delicate blue flowers. This close, Jinwoo could see his pointed ears.

“I _did_ hear something,” the Fae said, his plush lips curving into a smile that made his round cheeks look softer. “How did you arrive Tír na nÓg?”

_It’s dangerous to lie to a Faerie,_ his mother’s words came back, a phrase that echoed through every story told to children in his village._ They don’t like lies, and so, you must tell the truth, as they will do the same for you._

“I was looking for someone,” Jinwoo managed to get out, glancing down only for a moment to make sure he was clear of the fairy ring. “But I was tricked,” _by a Faerie,_ Jinwoo nearly said, but bit his tongue. The Fae didn’t appreciate being called _Faerie_. “And now I’m here.”

The Faerie pouted, stepping through the willow branches. The jingling made his movements seem even more ethereal. “You act like that’s a bad thing,” he said, and Jinwoo wanted to laugh.

“I can’t be here. I need to get home,” Jinwoo said, shaking his head. He resisted the urge to jump back into the fairy ring and press against the willow until it brought him home.

“There’s no rush to go,” the Faerie said, tiling his head to the side. “You should stay a little longer.”

“I can’t,” Jinwoo insisted.

“Why not?” The Faerie asked, turning away and parting the willow branches once more. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a human up close. I’m curious about you.”

Jinwoo watched faintly as he retreated back through the branches, leaving the windchimes in his wake. Holding his breath to keep in a groan, Jinwoo pressed his hands to his face. Would he have talk to the Faerie in order to get home? The last thing he wanted was to accidentally talk himself into some sort of contract. Faeries might not like to lie, but they were known to be exceptionally skilled at withholding information and using deceptive words.

Hearing the singing once more, Jinwoo slapped his hands against his cheeks, trying to knock some sense into himself. There was nothing he could do. He would have to give in to the Faerie’s whims, maybe get on his good side until he was able to get home.

Leaving the fairy ring behind, Jinwoo pushed himself through the willow branches and into Tír na nÓg, trying not to let his eyes wander further than the flowers at his feet. The Faerie was kneeling in the grass, his fingers brushing over a budding blue flower that shivered under the force of magic. Jinwoo watched in silent awe as the flower stretched into the air and parted its petals, blooming brighter than the ones around it.

“Come sit with me,” the Faerie invited, not looking away from his work as he tenderly cupped the flower in his hands.

“Are you going to trick me?” Jinwoo asked.

“No,” the Faerie replied. “I told you – it’s been awhile since I’ve seen a human. I only wish to talk.”

Though it went against his better judgement, Jinwoo approached, sitting down in the grass near the Faerie, taking care not to crush the flowers.

“What’s your name?” The Faerie asked, turning his attention away from the flower and onto him.

“Jinwoo,” he replied.

“Jinwoo...” The Faerie echoed, breathing it almost like a song. Jinwoo felt a shiver run down his spine. “My name is Myungjun. Is it true that humans shake hands when you meet someone?” The Faerie tilted his head to the side, extending one hand with a touch of hesitation.

“Well...yes,” Jinwoo admitted, pausing only a moment before reaching out to shake the Faerie’s hand. His skin was warm, and tingles of magic began to stretch up his arm. It wasn’t unpleasant, nothing like the burning sensation he’d received when the Faerie had grabbed him. Jinwoo was tempted to get a little bit closer. He shrugged off the thought and released Myungjun’s hand.

“This isn’t my best,” Myungjun said idly, still stroking the flower with a small smile. “I think the bloom was too late...”

If the flower Myungjun had bloomed was late and not as beautiful as it should be, Jinwoo couldn’t imagine what it would look like if it had better conditions.

“I think it’s beautiful,” Jinwoo said, feeling his face heat up as Myungjun laughed once more.

“Of course – humans are quick to impress,” he said, rising to his feet. “Come. Dusk approaches – we don’t want to be caught out here after dark.”

“Are you taking me home?” Jinwoo asked. “I really need to get back.”

“The sun is setting,” Myungjun said. “Surely you won’t be able to find your way back in the dark? Stay a night – rest, enjoy yourself.” Myungjun tilted his head to the side, his lips curling into a gentle smile. “After all, how often is it that a mortal like you gets to see Tír na nÓg?”

Jinwoo knew time was of the essence. If he didn’t get home sooner rather than later, he could lose track of time and never return home until the people he knew were long gone. But perhaps Myungjun was right. He wouldn’t be able to find his way home if he returned to the darkening forest.

“Alright,” Jinwoo succumbed to the Faerie’s wishes, receiving a smile in return.

Myungjun raised his fingers to his lips and whistled, a shrill sound that echoed through the meadow. From a grove of trees, a graceful palomino saddled in leather and gold finery emerged, tossing her head as she stopped next to Myungjun. The Faerie climbed on as easily as if he had used a staircase, but Jinwoo was at a loss until he was offered a helping hand. Clambering onto the steed, Jinwoo tried not to feel like a victim of a Faerie troop kidnapping as Myungjun snapped the reigns. Clutching onto the horse’s mane, he peeked behind them, over Myungjun’s arm as he watched the willow tree slowly fade into the distance.

Jinwoo wondered if he’d ever see it again.


	2. Chapter 2

The willow tree had long since vanished over a hill, and Jinwoo had nothing familiar to offer him any sort of reassurance. The willow had become a certainty in his mind that if he arrived in Tír na nÓg within its branches, he could leave the same way. With what felt like miles of distance between himself and the fairy ring, returning home felt more like a waking dream than the world around him did.

Though Jinwoo wanted to ignore the fields of pastel flowers and verdant grasses, he found himself struggling to tear his eyes away. Animals both familiar and unfamiliar roamed the meadows while young Fae gathered flowers and herbs into baskets, unbothered by their companions. Though it went against his better judgement, he found his gaze captured by a wood nymph dancing at the roots of a blossoming magnolia, her willowy body curving with the movements of the wind. Petals flowed around her, following her fingers and toes as she twirled, leaped and floated around the trunk, dancing to a melody only she could hear. Jinwoo felt the overwhelming need to join her and found himself leaning forward.

He was startled back to attention when Myungjun’s hand caught him sharply around the waist and yanked him upright to keep him from falling out of the saddle.

“Keep your eyes to yourself when it comes to dryads,” Myungjun warned with a tiny snicker. “They like to collect handsome young men like you – so if you don’t want to become a new branch on their tree, look away.”

Jinwoo could only nod, rubbing his forehead where a fresh headache began pounding at the inside of his skull. He could scarcely react to being called ‘handsome’, let alone consider exactly what would’ve happened to him if it weren’t for Myungjun. Tiny pink sparkles flickered through his vision, leaving an imprint of the dancing Faerie. He tugged the iron coin from his shirt and pressed it to his eyelids once more, trying to shake the enchantment. He hadn’t been in Tír na nÓg a single day and he was already starting to fall into Faerie traps. He supposed he should be thankful Myungjun found him first – that is, if the Faerie hadn’t already tricked him.

_He said he wouldn’t, _Jinwoo reasoned, but that didn’t mean Myungjun was completely trustworthy. It was strange that any Faerie would offer to shelter a human for the night when their way home was only steps away, but Jinwoo had willingly accepted the offer to stay in Tír na nÓg for one night. He couldn’t say he’d been kidnapped, even if it had been a Faerie who had dragged him here in the first place. Perhaps it had only been a twisted prank. Perhaps it had taken the form of Hyunshik to trick the search party and keep them out of the forest, and Jinwoo had just been the unlucky victim. Maybe it had hoped to watch Jinwoo flounder about Tír na nÓg for days, and instead witnessed him be carried off by someone else. Nervously, Jinwoo glanced over his shoulder once more, but only saw green fields steadily becoming shrouded in silvery mist as the pink sky faded steadily to a deep lavender. The only Faerie close to him was Myungjun, unless the mist hid many more from sight.

As the road ahead of them grew darker and the mist stretched ahead of them, Myungjun lifted one hand and blew gently over his palm. Fireflies flew from his fingertips like sparks and wove around them in a delicate pattern. Their light gleamed bright enough to keep the mist at bay. Jinwoo shivered, feeling glad for the protective bubble of light the magic offered them. He could hear faint whispers in the mist, and he knew this is likely what Myungjun was protecting him from.

“What’s in there...?” He whispered, not daring to speak any louder.

“Only the sylphs,” Myungjun replied. “But they are shy, so they fill the meadow with mist. They don’t like being seen. We shine a light to show them where we are so they know we’re not sneaking up on them.”

It was reassuring, but as the whispers continued, Jinwoo tried not to stare too deeply into the cloud covering the meadow. He swiftly looked away every time he saw something moving. He opted to close his eyes until they were clear of it.

The mist faded as they crested the final hill, and the palace rose up in front of them. Jinwoo’s breath caught in his throat. Though night had fallen over Tír na nÓg, the city and palace at its center glowed like the sun, casting golden light into the surrounding streets. But despite the palace’s brightness, Jinwoo noted that it didn’t smother the stars. Jinwoo found himself struggling not to gawk as they stepped past the first few lines of houses bordering a main road of polished stone and decorated with lavish mother-of-pearl fountains spraying water that looked like cascades of diamonds.

The city’s rooftops and walls rose with the ancient trees that grew between them. Fragile staircases stretched up into the canopy where homes perched like nests along the branches, the leaves growing out through windows. Most wonderous of all was the palace, built within and around a tree so large, Jinwoo knew he’d never see anything like it back home. Spires curved around the tallest branches, broad leaves fanning over shining balconies and jewelled railings.

He hadn’t noticed his jaw had fallen open until Myungjun had settled his chin on his shoulder and laughed softly in his ear. “Do you like it, Jinwoo?”

“I...” Jinwoo swallowed, rendered speechless. This was the Summer Court. Perhaps Jinwoo had been lucky to stumble into Tír na nÓg. No bedtime story had ever truly captured the majesty of the Summer Court, or the way the Fae wandered the streets with woven reed baskets, their pale hair shining in the light of their paradise city. So much was familiar and unfamiliar, from the merchant stands with Faeries calling out wares of fruits Jinwoo had eaten back home and ones that he’d never seen before. Stalls filled with goods from practical jars and cuts of cloth to elaborate jewellery and handmade clothing drew crowds, and citizens bartered, haggled, and paid with gold coins, or traded with goods they themselves had either made, or bought at an earlier time.

Tearing his eyes away, Jinwoo began to notice the crowd parting as Myungjun’s horse moved forward. Faeries bowed in their direction, their lips tightly closed in respect until they’d passed. Jinwoo peeked behind them for a brief moment, noting that a few Fae were whispering behind their hands, though being very cautious to avoid pointing.

“They’re staring,” Jinwoo mumbled, wishing he could become invisible. Eyes lingered on his face before drifting downwards to take in his attire – a rough-spun wool tunic, with grass stained breeches and leather boots that had seen better days. He stood out among the silk and jewels, and Jinwoo wished he was wearing something different.

“Of course,” Myungjun said, his tone bright as he brought his horse ever closer to the gates of the palace. “I bet they’ve never seen such a handsome human before.”

Jinwoo felt his cheeks heat up, and he wished the weather had been colder when he’d fallen into Tír na nÓg. He might’ve been able to hide his face inside the collar of his jacket and pretend nobody was watching.

The sound of rapid footsteps forced Jinwoo’s eyes upwards again. His heart stopped for a moment at the sight of guards cloaked head to foot in silver armour. Spears with polished wood handles were clutched in their fists. Though Jinwoo knew weaponry well enough to easily tell that these spears were more for show than they were combat, he still felt fear clench his chest. As flimsy as the metal looked, it was still sharp enough to cause damage.

“My Liege, you should’ve sent notice that you were leaving the palace!” One of the guards said.

“I had no wish to bother the guard with something so trivial,” Myungjun responded, his words bringing a chill to Jinwoo’s blood. “I wasn’t going far.”

“But you have returned late – His Majesty is beside himself with worry. My Liege, he requests you never leave without your guard again. We are here to serve you, sir!” The guard brought the end of his spear down onto the polished stone, a shower of sparks rising from the wood. He saluted with a fist over his heart, and the other five guards who had joined the approach copied the movement in perfect synchronisation.

“I will see to my father when my guest is settled. Send word that I’ve returned safely.” Myungjun snapped the reigns, weaving his way between the guards who immediately began to march on either side of him. Their heavy, synchronized steps echoed ominously between the twinkling buildings.

Myungjun was _royalty_, Jinwoo realized numbly. He stared at the hands holding the reigns, the only part of Myungjun he could see without turning around. He should’ve guessed. His beauty and grace were beyond compare, and Jinwoo felt a wave of terror for his own safety. He’d been speaking to Myungjun with the mere caution of a mortal facing an ordinary Fae. It was a breach in etiquette that could earn him a terrible curse. He resisted the urge to clutch his iron as the palace gates closed behind them, two of the guards staying behind to guard the entrance to the courtyard.

“Y-Your Highness,” Jinwoo stammered. “Y-You didn’t tell me. I’m so sorry for my manners.”

Myungjun laughed softly in his ear. An arm wrapped around his middle and squeezed gently. “You have no need to fear me, Jinwoo. I will not hurt you. I introduced myself to you as Myungjun, and I wish for you to call me as such.”

“But—” Jinwoo protested, but felt the hand squeeze him a little more sharply. A prickle of magic seeped through his clothing.

“Will you go against my wishes?” Myungjun questioned.

Jinwoo swallowed thickly. “N-No,” he mumbled.

“No _what_?” Myungjun’s tone was filled with his smile, and Jinwoo felt a warm tingle in his stomach.

“N-No, Myungjun,” he said, with just enough hesitation to earn a fresh laugh from the Faerie prince.

“It’s not so hard, right?” Myungjun teased, reigning his palomino to a stop and immediately dismounting. He offered his hand up to Jinwoo once more and helped him down. The action felt easy and domestic, but Jinwoo couldn’t help but feel like he should’ve been the one helping Myungjun instead. If the guards thought the entire action strange, they said nothing, but Jinwoo wondered if they would whisper in private about the mortal man their prince had brought home late at night.

Two of the guards escorted the palomino away as Myungjun beckoned Jinwoo up the marble stairs and through palace’s inner gate. The great tree sat at the center of a vast courtyard. The trunk was so wide that Jinwoo was sure if he stretched his arms across it, he wouldn’t feel the curve. Thick, flowered vines clambered up the sides while strange, bioluminescent mushrooms as tall as he was and some smaller than his baby toe sprouted at the roots. Fountains babbled at regular intervals throughout the courtyard, and flowers tumbled out of every flowerbed in sight. Fireflies made their lazy way amongst the low hanging branches and danced around the flora and fungi.

“The view from the spires is more beautiful than this,” Myungjun said, catching Jinwoo’s hand and pulling him swiftly towards a staircase that curved around the tree trunk and vanished into the thick branches far above their heads.

Though the climb was akin to hiking a large mountain, Jinwoo found that the staircase imbued his legs with the strength to take each step just as easily as the first. As the ground fell away, much of Tír na nÓg emerged over the horizon, obscured only by the silvery mist they’d travelled through and a thick forest that seemed to stretch on for miles. He felt sadness slip into him as he was forced to tear his eyes away and step into the palace keep, where small buildings and bridges and more staircases wove between thick branches, but never once obstructed them.

Climbing into one of the tallest spires, Myungjun snapped his fingers, a sparkle of magic causing two large sets of doors to snap sharply open. The scent of flowers drifted from the rooms. Jinwoo felt every muscle in his body relax as every worry slipped away.

“My room is on the right,” Myungjun said, gesturing to the doors on the right before leading Jinwoo to the ones on the left. “You are my guest, so you will stay in this one.”

Jinwoo wasn’t sure how he felt about sleeping so close to royalty, but he supposed if it was the prince’s wishes, he would have to go along with it.

The room was spacious – bigger than his entire house back home. A large bed with white and pale green silk sheets sat ready and welcoming, and Jinwoo wanted to sink onto it immediately, filthy clothes or not. The furniture was minimalistic white decorated with modest floral carvings and golden handles and hinges. Most of the room’s décor was floral, with large garden troughs perched on the sills of even bigger windows. Vines cascaded like curtains from the ceiling. An elegant vase sat on each side table, filled with flowers Jinwoo had no name for.

“Do you like it?” Myungjun asked.

“It’s beautiful,” Jinwoo said.

Myungjun smiled and rang a silver bell hanging near the doorway. As a pleasant tinkle filled the room, Jinwoo heard the bustling of footsteps behind a small doorway. It swung open, admitting a Faerie dressed in casual silks with silver embellishments. A yellow sun was embroidered onto the back of his shirt, visible when he bowed deeply towards Myungjun.

“Jinwoo, I’d like you to meet my attendant, Sanha,” Myungjun said, drawing the Faerie’s attention to Jinwoo. He bowed towards him politely, his arms folded neatly behind him. “If you require anything, please ring the bell and call for him. He will be happy to be of service.”

“It would be my honour,” Sanha said pleasantly, an easy smile on his face. He glanced over at Myungjun out of the corner of his eye, and for a moment, he could swear the Faerie prince winked at Sanha. He wondered if the formal speech was merely that – a formality, rather than a reflection of their relationship.

“For now, I’m sure Jinwoo has had a long journey. Draw him a bath and bring him a fresh set of clothing before he rests. I must see my father before the night is over.” Myungjun sighed, throwing his head back in a dramatic manner and dragging a hand through his golden hair. “I’m certain he has some..._choice_ words for me.”

“He was very furious when he discovered you had ordered me not to tell,” Sanha said proudly, looking immensely pleased that he wasn’t able to serve the king.

Myungjun’s eye sparkled with mirth before he turned away with a mischievous grin. As he looked back towards him for a moment, Jinwoo had the sense that maybe the prince wasn’t ready to leave his side just yet.

“I will see you in the morning, Jinwoo. Sleep well tonight.” And with another snap of his fingers, the door closed behind him as he moved towards the staircase once more.

“Come with me, Jinwoo,” Sanha said, suddenly standing very close. Jinwoo was alarmed to discover the Faerie was taller than he was by almost a full head and had very striking blue eyes. “I will prepare your bath.”

Though Jinwoo wanted to insist he had no need for one and he just wanted to sleep, the water Sanha gathered from flowers speckled with dew and an effervescent spring contained within a bowl was too tempting to pass up. Clothed in silken finery and surrounded by the scent of spring rain, Jinwoo finally fell into the mattress and found himself in the arms of pleasant dreams beyond his imagination.


	3. Chapter 3

Jinwoo woke slowly, sunlight dancing over his eyelids. Though he hadn’t forgotten where he was, his dreams had taken him to far away places where the truth of his circumstances hadn’t mattered. He was still in Tír na nÓg, and he’d spent a night within the walls of the Summer Court as the guest of the prince. Sliding from between perfectly warm sheets, Jinwoo couldn’t help but look down at his hands, where his tanned skin only looked like a stain against the pale silks he’d been offered as small cloths. The fair skin of the Fae suited the colours, but Jinwoo felt more human than ever.

_I don’t belong here, _Jinwoo thought, though he couldn’t help but approach the window bordered by trumpet-shaped yellow flowers as tall as saplings. If the nights in Tír na nÓg had looked stunning, the morning was even more dazzling. The city beneath the palace shone brightly in the dawn, and the last of the mist in the meadows was fading into the sky. The wildflowers he’d seen up close the day before had blurred into a patchwork of fine watercolour pastels on a canvas of green that likely would never have a name in the human world. In the daytime, the distant forests looked harmless. Now that mist was obscuring far less of the horizon, Jinwoo could see a line to the north where the canopy of green trees slipped into an emerald gradient so deep, Jinwoo wondered what could be on the other side and was afraid of the truth.

The door swung open, startling Jinwoo enough that he nearly gripped one of the flowers for support. Myungjun stepped into the room, still dressed in his night clothes much like Jinwoo was. He wore them much better, his pale skin bright in the light of dawn.

“Good morning, Jinwoo,” Myungjun greeted, stepping gracefully over to the window to stand next to him with a delightful smile. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes,” Jinwoo said, his head bowing a little as he felt his cheeks warm. There was something about the Faerie prince’s smile and his bright eyes that had Jinwoo’s heart beating twice as fast. “And you?”

“I had a good rest,” Myungjun confirmed with a hum, turning to gaze out the window much like Jinwoo had been before. “I’ve always liked the view from this window. I’m glad you are enjoying it too.”

“If you like this window more, why do you have your room on the other side?” Jinwoo asked. Myungjun turned to look at him again, and Jinwoo realized his irises were the shade of rich chocolate.

“My father thinks it’s unbecoming of the crown prince to prefer to look upon the meadows rather than our people,” Myungjun said, turning his eyes back out the window with a soft sigh. “And he believes the ancient forest should be out of sight of the aristocrats, since it borders our lands with the Winter Court.”

Jinwoo shivered at the thought, his eyes finding the darkest line of trees of the distant forest. He couldn’t see beyond the layer of ancient trees, but he tried to imagine a land of eternal winter and darkness this close to the paradise of the Summer Court. He wondered if the Winter Court Fae were just as hideous as the Summer Court Fae were beautiful.

“I know I said you would stay the night, but my mother is a queen who tends to grow bored with life in the court,” Myungjun said, his eyes roaming across the blooming meadows. “She retired to her quarters early last night to send invites to a banquet for today, and I am required to attend. I will be unable to escort you back to where you came into Tír na nÓg until it’s over. As my guest, you’re invited too, of course,” Myungjun said, smiling over at Jinwoo with a tilt of his head. “I will have Sanha bring you a suitable change of clothes. The banquet is in the palace gardens at high noon.”

“Okay,” Jinwoo agreed, though knew he should be frustrated and annoyed by Myungjun’s words. He had invited him to stay the night with the implication that he would return back to the human world the next day. He should brandish his iron coin and demand that Myungjun take him back to the willow tree this instant, the banquet be damned. But Jinwoo found he couldn’t deny the prince’s eyes, or the beautiful smile that filled his features when Jinwoo agreed to attend.

“Then, I will see you in a few hours. I must get ready,” Myungjun said before he was retreating once more, the doors of Jinwoo’s room swinging shut with a click.

“Anu, give me strength,” Jinwoo prayed under his breath, digging the iron coin from the front of his shirt and pressing it to his forehead. The Faerie prince’s glamour was getting to him – that was the only reasonable explanation for this behaviour. When the banquet was over, he had to demand to return home, no questions asked.

Sanha’s arrival with an armload of white and gold silk clothing startled him out of his desperate praying. He stuffed the iron coin back beneath his shirt, an action that had Sanha frowning.

“Does the prince know you wear that?” He asked, and Jinwoo immediately realized Myungjun had no idea. He shook his head, and Sanha smiled nervously. “It might be best to remove it. If the queen discovers iron at her banquet, her anger will be terrible.”

Though the idea of angering a Faerie Queen was terrifying, the idea of going anywhere in Tír na nÓg without the protection of his iron coin was even more so.

“I can’t take it off,” Jinwoo said, his tone certain, but carrying a shrill pitch of fear he hoped had gone unnoticed. Judging from Sanha’s nervous frown, it hadn’t.

“Then, I have warned you,” Sanha said, finally approaching with the clothing. “But please keep it away from me – and the prince.”

Jinwoo nodded his head, feeling bad he was making Sanha nervous. He pulled off the pyjamas and changed into the fresh set of clothes, trying not to feel conscious of how formal the attire was. The clothes were more comfortable than the wool tunic he spent his life in, and the shoes hugged his feet exactly how they needed to. Back home, even when he and his father had a successful year of sales, he could never have dreamed of such luxury.

“I must attend to the prince now,” he said calmly, watching Jinwoo stuff the coin beneath his blouse and tailcoat, his boyish face filled with a touch of fear. “Please consider removing your iron.”

Jinwoo only nodded, not making any promises. Sanha smiled weakly before he was retreating from the room, vanishing through the small door. Letting out a shaky breath, he laid a hand over his heart where the iron pressed warmly against his skin. It had done nothing to protect him from the Faerie who had tricked him into Tír na nÓg, but superstition begged him to leave it where it belonged. He didn’t know if the iron was as effective within the Faerie realms as it was back home, but it was a reassuring weight around his neck all the same.

Standing in the window, Jinwoo watched the sun climb steadily higher, turning the sky pale pink. The horizon in the distance was soft shade of violet, but Jinwoo couldn’t be fooled into thinking that the distant Winter Courts were a paradise just as the lands visible to him were.

The sun was nearly at its apex when Jinwoo’s door swung open once more. Jinwoo found himself dumbstruck as Myungjun swept into the room. If he was beautiful before, it was nothing compared to now. Layers of elegant cloth hugged his body, and a sleeveless, pale green robe bearing his family crest embroidered in gold fell to his ankles, split open to his hip for ease of movement. Everything from his breeches to his undershirt were flowing white silk with gold cuffs and fastenings. On his blonde hair, a silver crown of woven crocuses sat like an angel’s halo.

“You clean up well,” Myungjun commented, his eyes roaming Jinwoo’s body from head to foot.

“I think I’m nothing compared to you,” he replied without thinking, earning him a charming smile.

“This?” Myungjun lifted his arms, showing off the loose sleeves and the way the cuffs fell heavily down to his elbows when he lifted his hands too high. The cuffs weren’t just embroidery – gold had been sewed into the fabric. Jinwoo couldn’t imagine how anyone could’ve accomplished such a task without scorching silk. “This is always a bit much for me.” He lowered his arms again, approaching Jinwoo to adjust the collar of his intricately embroidered tailcoat and smoothed out the wrinkles with a gentle hand. “You look very handsome in this. Watch your step at the banquet – the dryads and naiads will be all over you.” He winked cheekily, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Jinwoo felt himself flush. “I’ll try to be careful.”

“I must also warn you,” Myungjun said, fixing a few strands of Jinwoo’s hair. “Though you are my guest, and you have permission to drop formalities around me, you must make sure to use them in front of my mother and father. The king and queen are very strict about manners, so you must be on your best behaviour and avoid offending them.”

Jinwoo felt the iron against his chest grow heavier, and he remembered Sanha’s warning. He swallowed thickly, allowing Myungjun to continue grooming him.

A gentle knock on the door caught their attention, and Myungjun called out a greeting, removing his fingers from Jinwoo’s hair. The door swung open, and a young man wearing emerald robes embroidered with red and gold ash leaf designs bowed into the room. His brown hair looked incredibly soft, but Jinwoo couldn’t miss the twigs and crisp green leaves that grew out of his temples and curved around the back of his head like a crown.

“I came as soon as I received the message,” the dryad said with an easy smile.

“Thank you,” Myungjun turned back to Jinwoo, giving his collar one last adjustment. “I have to enter the banquet with my mother and father, so you’ll be going down with Minhyuk.”

“Didn’t you say—”

“Watch out for dryads,” Myungjun grinned, and out of the corner of his eye, Minhyuk stifled a laugh in his fist “But Minhyuk already has a handsome man – he won’t try to turn you into a branch.”

“He’s short,” Minhyuk quipped, “so he would be more effective as a twig.”

Jinwoo opened his mouth to retort, but Myungjun’s vibrant laugh cut him off. “I will give you one more thing before you depart,” he said, pulling back the sleeve of Jinwoo’s tailcoat. “Though it won’t deter the most determined, it should at least warn those who respect the royal family.” Myungjun slid a gold beaded bracelet around Jinwoo’s wrist. It was heavy, and the runes etched into each one spoke of ancient magic.

“I will see you at the banquet,” Myungjun said with a grin before sweeping easily from the room, his robe swishing behind him.

“You are one special human,” Minhyuk commented when the prince had vanished down the spiral staircase. “We’d best make our way down to the courtyard. It would be unbecoming of us to arrive after the royal family.”

Jinwoo nodded his head, fidgeting with the bracelet. The beads had stiffened the moment Myungjun had released them. He was unable to remove them, and it made him feel like he’d been collared.

He followed Minhyuk down the stairs, hearing the faint echoes of amicable chatter far below. They ducked beneath branches overhanging the bridges, and little by little, made their way down the stairs of the great tree. Going down was more terrifying than going up, and Jinwoo found himself clinging onto the handrail a little tighter than he would’ve liked.

Minhyuk led him around the back of the tree, where a thick hedge filled with large, azure butterflies separated the banquet from the rest of the palace. A trellis gate with drooping wisteria was guarded by a squat man with more beard than face. He eyed them both with beady eyes as he read his way through a scroll filled with names. He paused on Jinwoo, eyeing him from head to foot for an uncomfortable amount of time before announcing in a squeaky voice that he was on the guest list, though his tone suggested he had no clue why.

“Don’t mind him,” Minhyuk said in an undertone as he guided Jinwoo through the gate and over to a round, stone table. “Gnomes are rigid creatures. They like rules, and don’t like seeing them change for anyone – even the nobles.”

Jinwoo nodded his head, startled to find his name a written upon a small, silver card propped up on his crystal goblet. Minhyuk immediately sat in his seat, prompting Jinwoo to do the same. His position at the table offered him a perfect view of the elaborate golden table decorated in fine cloths and tableware bearing the royal family’s crest. It must’ve been a place of honor if he could dine facing the royal family opposed to having his back to them the entire time.

The garden was even more elaborate than it had seemed from the outside. It made the palace courtyard look more like an untamed wilderness by comparison. Trees grew tall and strong, ponds filled with small, colourful fish dotted the landscape. Cobblestoned pathways added a rustic, yet humble touch to a garden that would have the kings and queens from the mortal realm swooning. He quietly watched the comings and goings of the garden and admired the way the paths all eventually led back to the roots of the great tree where a shrine sat flawless and gleaming, bearing a bowl of fruit and nuts and what looked like a jug of honey. Naiads dipped their feet in the ponds, and dryads conversed in whispers where they were half concealed by hedges. Creatures Jinwoo couldn’t even name made their way into the garden one by one, some on the arm of another, and many more arrived alone. Each new face made Jinwoo feel like a wolf among sheep, and from time to time, he caught the eye of a Faerie watching him with muted interest.

Jinwoo was glad for the distraction when servants brought bowls of fruit and poured honey sweetened wine into every goblet. The fragrance of the wine and the bright berries wafted towards him in the breeze, making his mouth water. He realized he hadn’t eaten anything since arriving in Tír na nÓg. He hadn’t felt hungry until now. He glanced at Minhyuk, wondering if it was okay to start eating, but when nobody made a move for the fruit bowl, Jinwoo slumped back in his seat. He supposed they would have to wait for the banquet to begin.

A fanfare of trumpets announced the approach of the royal family. Minhyuk rose to his feet, holding his right fist over heart in salute. Jinwoo stood and copied him, watching four figures descend the staircase surrounding the great tree. He easily picked out Myungjun as the second in the line before he vanished around the opposite side of the tree. Faeries who had yet to find their seats scrambled, and the table that had once only sat Jinwoo and Minhyuk swiftly filled with several more dryads, all saluting as they faced the high table.

The gnome that had given Jinwoo trouble used the roots at the base of the great tree to elevate himself above the heads of the trumpeters, his expression one of great importance. Jinwoo almost laughed as his moustache quivered in the wind, but stifled it by pressing the tongue to the roof of his mouth.

“Presenting Her Highness, Princess Junhee, Crown Princess of the Sun!” The gnome belted, his voice surprisingly sonorous for his size.

From around the tree, the princess emerged, her long, golden hair shimmering to her waist. A silver crown of snowdrops encircled her head, and a flowing dress of gold and white silks fluttered in the wind.

“Hail! Princess Junhee!” The gnome shouted.

“Hail! Princess Junhee!” The crowd echoed before Jinwoo had a chance to do so. He prayed nobody noticed.

The Princess curtseyed gently before moving to her seat at the high table on the far left.

“Presenting His Highness, Prince Myungjun, Crown Prince of the Sun!”

Myungjun emerged, his eyes almost immediately falling onto Jinwoo. He smiled shyly, looking away as his feet touched the ground at the roots of the tree.

“Hail! Prince Myungjun!” The gnome prompted.

“Hail! Prince Myungjun!” Jinwoo didn’t miss it that time.

Myungjun copied his sister’s action, bowing his head before moving to stand behind his seat. Jinwoo was delighted to see he’d been sat at the table closest to him.

Queen Geumhee came next, clad in garb so elaborate, Jinwoo had to wonder how she sat down. Unlike her children, she did not curtsey, nor did she acknowledge the crowd in any manner aside from a smile when she received the loudest ‘Hail!’ yet. King Myungwoo was much more easygoing, his sparkling eyes telling Jinwoo which side of the family Myungjun most resembled. He pressed his fist over his chest and nodded towards the crowd.

“At ease!” The king proclaimed when he had reached his seat. “Let the feast begin!”


	4. Chapter 4

Jinwoo’s mouth watered as he watched the dryads at his table dig in to the fruit bowl. He waited until they had taken a share before reaching for an apple. He’d been about to take a bite when he remembered the tale of two brothers who found themselves in Tír na nÓg. While one brother was wise and didn’t trust the Fair Folk, the other brother was tricked into consuming a single grape and was trapped for eternity, unable to return home.

“Minhyuk...?” Jinwoo asked, keeping his voice low. “Is it true that if humans eat the food in Tír na nÓg they will never be able to leave?”

“Yes,” Minhyuk replied. “I wasn’t sure whether to warn you. I didn’t know if you knew or not.”

“I almost forgot,” Jinwoo admitted, a shiver trailing down his spine. But it had been a close call. The charms of Tír na nÓg had almost caught him yet again.

“The burdens of mortality do not exist here.” Minhyuk unfolded his napkin and laid it across his lap. “Food is a pleasure rather than a necessity for the people of Tír na nÓg, and not eating isn’t considered rude. But if you intend to return home, you cannot touch anything – not even the wine.”

Jinwoo swallowed thickly and set down the apple. Though abstaining should’ve been easy, the perfume of the fruit and wine was tempting. They were things Jinwoo had rarely been able to eat back home, his diet mainly limited to bread and potatoes. His family was blessedly well-off enough to be able to afford salt for their soup, but not rich enough to afford the luxury of fresh fruit aside from what they could find growing in the wild.

Jinwoo was quick to note that the Fae had no taste for meat, but very much enjoyed anything made with honey or nectar. Minhyuk himself had taken several of what looked like sugared lilies with honey pooled inside the flower’s bell. He sipped the sweet liquid before pushing the flower into his mouth with a satisfied expression on his face. Jinwoo looked away, swallowing thickly. He’d barely been in Tír na nÓg two days and he was already having his patience tested. One slip up; one step towards sin, and he would be damned for eternity. He distracted himself by watching palace servants weave between tables, making sure nobody’s wine glass became too empty, and offering trays of hors d’oeuvres and freshly baked bread rolls to any who wished for it.

Myungjun himself was merry. He sipped his wine and dipped bread rolls in honey cream between slices of apple and peach. Some part of Jinwoo wondered if the Fae enjoyed savoury flavours, or even spicy ones as well as the sweet. He supposed he wouldn’t find salt in Tír na nÓg, since he’d heard many tales of the Fae being bested by a human spilling salt before their eyes and killing them with an iron dagger when they were forced by nature to stoop and count the grains.

Myungjun turned his gaze towards Jinwoo for a moment and smiled, his plush lips pinker than usual from the wine. Jinwoo allowed himself to smile back, though he was certain the expression had come out a lot more strained than he’d intended it to be.

The fruit, as it turned out, had only been the appetizer. Servants brought out bowls of soup and laid one down in front of each guest. Though the fruit and sweets had been tempting, Jinwoo had to close his eyes to ignore the sight of the mushroom and barley soup. Minhyuk and the other dryads slurped theirs happily. Silently, Jinwoo pushed his soup towards Minhyuk. He was both grateful and frustrated when dryad devoured his serving as well.

After soup was salad, and after that came pie filled with strawberry jam. Jinwoo struggled to remember the last time he’d eaten a strawberry and prayed to Anu to let the banquet end soon. Though Minhyuk had said hunger wouldn’t affect him in Tír na nÓg, he felt such an intense desire to eat that he began to wonder if the grass at his feet was safe, or if that would bind him to the Faerie realm too.

Finally, the servants passed around the tables for the last time, collecting dishes as guests slumped back in their seats with happy, satisfied hums. Jinwoo wished he could do the same. Myungjun finished off his latest glass of wine and turned towards his father, chatting about an unknown topic. Jinwoo wished he’d eaten something, but also knew he’d thank himself for abstaining later.

The queen rose to her feet, and in an instant, silence fell over the courtyard.

“Family,” she said in a voice that reminded Jinwoo of the smell of the honey wine that had sat untouched in front of him for the entire meal. “Friends...I am honoured to have you all here. And now that we’ve all eaten our fill and enjoyed the sun, let us welcome the night with music and dance!”

Night? Jinwoo took his eyes off the queen to turn his eyes up to the sky – and sure enough, the pink sky was already shifting to a pale shade of lavender. The banquet had already been underway for several hours, and Jinwoo hadn’t even noticed. The iron coin felt heavy against his chest once more, and he resisted the urge to remove it and press it to his forehead with a prayer. He would be trapped in Tír na nÓg another night.

He jumped as the sound of fifes and fiddles began to fill the courtyard. Several Faeries were striking up a melody at the base of the great tree, and new ones were arriving to join in, the music growing louder. A drumbeat echoed through the courtyard, and the guests at the tables began to rise, the furniture sinking into the ground and becoming part of the cobblestone pathway.

Jinwoo backed away as the crowd of guests converged in front of the band, whose melody was growing more tantalizing and frantic with each passing second. Jinwoo saw sparks fly from their fiddles and drums. Dryads began their vibrant dances, leaves and flower petals curling like ribbons around their bodies. He couldn’t help but notice Minhyuk among them, and he was surprised to see Sanha with his arms wrapped around his neck, their noses almost touching. Vibrant green leaves spiralled around them.

_Minhyuk already has a handsome man,_ he recalled Myungjun saying. Was that man Sanha?

The king and queen were moving to an elegant partner dance that rose and fell with the sound of the fiddles. The princess danced alone, her skirts flaring like a water lily. She was surrounded by a trio of beautiful dryads, their apple blossoms surrounding her in virginal white petals. Suitors attempted to approach her, but were swiftly rebuffed by the flowers and sent sulking back to watch, rather than join.

“Jinwoo,” Myungjun said almost directly to his left, and Jinwoo jumped in surprise. The prince cast him a playful smile. “Did you enjoy the feast?”

“I didn’t eat anything,” Jinwoo said, and watched the smile fade from the prince’s features, just enough to be noticeable.

“I see,” Myungjun said softly, stroking a hand through his hair. Jinwoo noted that he seemed to have set his crown down somewhere, and his golden hair was messier than it had been at the start of the feast. A wildness in his eyes suggested he may have indulged in a little too much wine. “Care to dance with me?”

Though vanishing amongst the crowd of dancers was one of the last things he wanted to do, he took Myungjun’s offered hand and followed him closer to the roots of the tree. A new song had started, and Fae were linking arms and forming rings, moving their legs to a joyful jig that had Jinwoo itching to join.

“Myungjun,” Jinwoo rasped, forgetting to use formalities and glad nobody heard it. From the way Myungjun’s eyes darted back and forth for a moment, he too had been startled by the dropped etiquette. “Your Highness. I can’t dance.”

“You don’t need to know,” Myungjun promised, holding onto his hands. “The music will teach you.”

Jinwoo found himself latching on to a naiad with his left arm while Myungjun clutched his right. For a moment, he moved his feet to the beat of the music, struggling to find any sort of rhythm or reason in the complex motions the Faeries moved their legs in. But as the music reached a crescendo, he felt it flow like hot water from his ears down to his toes, and his body began to move.

To his right, Myungjun threw his head back in laughter, and Jinwoo found his joy infectious. He quickly found himself smiling, the time forgotten as he danced amid petals of a thousand colours, his arms breaking away from one set of partners and moving onto the next. The crowd swayed and pulsated, whoops and cheers rising with swells of the music. Jinwoo found himself face to face with a dryad with willowy hair, the same windchime blue flowers he’d grown familiar with on his first day filling his ears with their songs once again.

“Tell me your name, handsome,” the dryad said, her crisp, green apple eyes meeting his as her long fingers cupped his cheek.

“Jinwoo,” he said without thinking, and the dryad giggled, plucking one of the flowers from her hair and slipping it behind his ear. It jingled softly and made him feel dizzy. The iron against his chest burned hot, sending him a warning he proceeded to ignore.

“I’m Suyeon,” she said sweetly, leaning in a little closer.

“And he’s mine,” Myungjun cut in, slipping an arm between himself and the dryad, shattering the spell effectively enough that Jinwoo felt his knees buckle.

Suyeon hissed, but slipped away, leaving tiny blue petals and the fluttery sound of windchimes in her wake.

“I told you to be careful of dryads, Jinwoo,” Myungjun said playfully, spinning him into a fresh dance and giving him time to clear his head. The iron coin had cooled down, feeling more like ice now that the magic was fading.

“I know—just...the music...and—hey!” He shouted when Myungjun plucked the blue flower from his hair and discarded it carelessly. He felt the loss of it like a punch to the gut.

“I should’ve guessed a willow would be your weakness,” Myungjun chortled. “It was the first thing you saw when you arrived in Tír na nÓg, wasn’t it?”

Jinwoo nodded, thinking once more of home. The sky had turned deep violet, and Jinwoo knew there was no point in asking Myungjun to return him now.

“Would you like to get away from this?” Myungjun asked, tilting his head as he smiled, his fingers clutching Jinwoo’s hands just a little tighter.

“Yes,” Jinwoo agreed. “Please.”

Myungjun grinned and turned, guiding him swiftly out of the garden and back to the staircase. Lost in the rhythm of the music, nobody at the banquet paid any notice to their departure, and with each step, the noise faded into a distant echo.

Instead of guiding him to the door on the left as Jinwoo expected, Myungjun snapped his fingers and led him through the doorway to his own private chambers. Jinwoo was barely able to take a moment to observe the prince’s room, which looked just as minimalistic and floral as his own, before he was swept into a spiralling waltz, accompanied only by Myungjun’s warbling voice. He sang in a language Jinwoo couldn’t understand, and he felt enraptured once more, his feet falling into an easy three step, guided by Myungjun’s hands. Fireflies began to light up the room, and it took Jinwoo a moment to realize it was the same magic that had kept the mist at bay in the meadow.

Jinwoo fell onto the mattress, and Myungjun leaned over him. Jinwoo exhaled shakily and took in the prince’s unkempt hairstyle and the wild sparkle in his eyes.

“From the moment I saw you, I knew I wanted to keep you here,” Myungjun said breathlessly, stroking one hand through Jinwoo’s hair.

“Is that the real reason you asked me to stay the night?” Jinwoo questioned.

Myungjun pouted, but nodded his head. “I’m sure you could’ve found your way back in the dark – or at least waited it out in your world until the sun rose again...but I’m glad you chose to stay. I wasn’t ready to let you go just yet.”

Jinwoo closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing as Myungjun’s forehead pressed against his.

“Was the banquet your idea, or was it really the queen’s?” Jinwoo asked, wondering if that too was a tactic to keep Jinwoo in Tír na nÓg another day.

“It was the queen’s,” Myungjun replied with a hum, sitting up straight but putting his weight on Jinwoo’s thighs. “But she asked if I wanted to have it today, or tomorrow – I told her to do it today.” He smiled shyly before he was lifting the pale green robe over his head and discarding it on the floor.

Jinwoo swallowed thickly. “Did you put a spell on me?”

“No,” Myungjun responded, unbuttoning his blouse and discarding that as well, the gold cuffs landing with a thin ringing sound on the floor. He was wearing nothing more than a tight-fitting top and his breeches. “But music has a way of capturing us – its magic even the high court nobles can’t truly understand. It affects the mind of humans the same way it affects us.” Myungjun’s hands caught Jinwoo’s as he leaned down, his bangs tickling Jinwoo’s forehead.

“My turn,” he said breathlessly. “Are you a blacksmith?”

“I...yes,” Jinwoo stammered. “How could you guess?”

“Your hands,” Myungjun breathed, lifting one and pressing it to his cheek. “They’re strong – they’ve worked hard, haven’t they?”

Jinwoo swallowed, and he nodded his head. Myungjun’s skin was soft against the rough calluses of his palm, and he genuinely wondered what was so appealing about him. Why would a Faerie be so eager to allow a rugged human like him be in his presence?

“I’ve barely worked a day in my life,” Myungjun murmured, releasing Jinwoo’s hand.

“That’s the life of royalty though, isn’t it?” Jinwoo asked. He kept his hand where it was, but softly stroked his thumb across Myungjun’s cheek. The prince sighed softly, leaning into it and closing his eyes. _Beautiful,_ Jinwoo thought numbly.

“Some things are worth working for, though,” Myungjun hummed, opening his eyes once more and undoing the buttons on Jinwoo’s tailcoat.

“Like what?” Jinwoo couldn’t help but ask, shivering as the faint breeze drifting through the window trickled down the open jacket.

“Like you,” Myungjun replied, spreading the tailcoat open and starting on the buttons of his blouse, exposing Jinwoo’s collarbones.

“Wait,” Jinwoo said sharply, catching Myungjun’s hand in his. The prince paused, pouting when Jinwoo removed his hands from the front of his shirt. This was foolish, Jinwoo thought numbly. He should not be doing this. He was leaving himself vulnerable to the Fae in their homeland, with one of the royals hovering over him with a desire for something Jinwoo didn’t need to question.

But the night had tested his patience; subjected him to temptation of the purest form. He’d denied himself sustenance for the sake of merriment, been stopped from sinking too deeply into the enrapturing sound of Faerie music, and now, he was facing the most beautiful man he’d ever laid eyes on, and he was close enough to kiss and more.

Jinwoo was human, and he’d never been a saint.

Jinwoo tugged the iron coin from beneath his shirt, watching Myungjun’s pupils dilate in fear. He nearly pulled away, but Jinwoo held his arm with one hand and threw the talisman away without looking to see where it would fall. He heard it ping to the floor, a sharp ring of metal that had the hairs on Jinwoo’s arms standing on end.

With one hand, he reached up and held the back of Myungjun’s head before he was pulling the prince back down towards him, their lips meeting in a wild kiss. Jinwoo felt his blood catch fire as Myungjun’s magic seeped into his skin, flowing like rivers now that he’d thrown away the iron. He stripped away the Faerie’s undershirt, stroking his hands along his body, both hearing and feeling the breathless moans that slid from his throat.

Not for a single second did Myungjun release him from his grasp, merely finishing off his buttons before turning them over so Jinwoo hovered over him instead. He shrugged off the tailcoat and blouse, letting Myungjun’s long fingers stroke over his muscular body, feeling the sparks of magic tremble along his skin.

Outside, far below the tallest spires of the palace, the music continued to echo, but Jinwoo couldn’t hear it over the song of the Faerie prince calling his name again and again. He only knew the beating of his heart as it sang a melody only the two of them could hear. He no longer knew time – only the number of small marks Jinwoo left with his lips on Myungjun’s fair skin as the night turned to dawn before he lay exhausted with the Faerie pressed against his side.

“Stay with me,” Myungjun whispered, his lips pressing a soft line along his jaw, sweat gleaming on his forehead. “Please...”

“I will,” Jinwoo breathed, allowing his mind to be filled once more with sweet dreams of paradise, and a Faerie prince who glowed like the shining sun.


	5. Chapter 5

Jinwoo woke slowly, his thoughts slow and languid. He was comfortably warm, and a weight pressed against his side had him smiling and pulling it just a little closer. The prince in his arms snuffled quietly, his cheek moving to rest on his chest just below his collar bone. He struggled to remember a time he felt more contented, and realized there likely wasn’t one.

Myungjun looked peaceful in his sleep, like the moon on still water. Silently, Jinwoo ran his fingers through his hair, enjoying the feeling of the blonde strands between his fingers. He’d thought the silk bedsheets were soft, but Myungjun’s hair felt even more so. It only added to the feeling of contentment, and the need to stay exactly where he was rather than consider any alternative.

They were both naked – Jinwoo could see it, from where the sheets pooled around their waist, leaving most of their upper bodies exposed to the warm, spring air of the Summer Court. His eyes found the dozens of small, dark love bites riddling Myungjun’s neck and chest, a flush of heat rising in his body at the memory that came with each one. He wondered if there was a punishment for sleeping with the crown prince, and if it was a crime at all. Myungjun had never struck him as the promiscuous type, but perhaps they’d both been a little too drunk on music; wine as well, in Myungjun’s case.

The prince stirred quietly, sweet hums sliding from his lips as he pressed against Jinwoo’s body. He nuzzled his cheek against his chest, and Jinwoo’s arms tightened around his waist. He closed his eyes once more, basking in the feeling of sparkling magic as it slowly woke within Myungjun and trickled out of his skin. No spell was being put on him, but the feeling of the raw power Myungjun had was an addictive pleasure. He wondered exactly when the heat of his hands had stopped being uncomfortable.

“Jinwoo...” Myungjun murmured, opening his eyes once more. He smiled, reaching up to stroke his fingers across his cheek and down to his chest. Jinwoo caught his hand and gently kissed his fingers.

Myungjun took his hand back and lifted himself on his elbow, leaning forward to press a kiss against his cheek, and then his lips. Though Jinwoo thought he’d had his fill of the Summer Prince the night before, he found himself swiftly falling back into temptation. He wanted to fill the tower room with their music once more.

“You’re so beautiful,” Jinwoo found himself whispering against the patchwork of love bites adoring Myungjun’s neck.

“You’re so handsome,” Myungjun responded breathlessly, his head tilted back, offering himself wholeheartedly to Jinwoo’s affections. His eagerness to give himself to Jinwoo only made him want the prince more, and his hands slid down his body, steadily approaching his hips.

A door squeaked open, and a surprised _‘oh’_ reached Jinwoo’s ears. Before he could see who had walked in on them, the door had closed. He pulled away from Myungjun, unsure of whether or not to stop now that they’d obviously been seen.

“It was just Sanha,” Myungjun laughed, pulling Jinwoo down for another lingering kiss. “Though I’d love it if you could sweep me away for another day and night, I’m sure he has some work to do in here. And maybe we can also go somewhere quieter...”

Swallowing thickly, Jinwoo nodded his head. Myungjun grinned, peppering his cheeks with kisses before he was leaping from his bed without an ounce of shame of his nudity. Jinwoo couldn’t help but take a moment to admire him again – from afar this time, where he could really get the full picture of just how beautiful Myungjun truly was.

He was beyond perfect, Jinwoo decided.

Myungjun grinned knowingly over his shoulder, and Jinwoo flushed crimson before turning away. He sat up, but kept the blankets bunched around his hips. He was a bit more conscious of himself than Myungjun was.

“Sanha, you can come in,” Myungjun called through the small door at the side of the room. “We need a change of clothes. Nothing gaudy – I’m going to take Jinwoo out.”

Sanha’s shy confirmation echoed from the room, and Myungjun left the door open, retreating back to the bed to sit and wait. The young servant emerged, his cheeks still flushed a bright pink as he avoided eye contact with both Myungjun and Jinwoo. He set down two folded sets of clothes before bowing himself back to the door.

“Sanha,” Myungjun laughed. “You act like you’ve never seen someone naked before.”

Sanha sputtered, his shoulders squaring as he stared down at the floor. “My prince, I really—never expected—I mean, maybe I did but—”

Myungjun laughed again, leaning forward with mischievous eyes. “You’re late coming in – I assume you spent the night with Minhyuk.”

If Sanha was embarrassed before, it was nothing compared to now. He hid his face in his hands and shook his head. “No—no, no, we didn’t—My prince, forgive my blunder—”

“Go easy on him,” Jinwoo said, gently slapping the back of Myungjun’s shoulder. “If the feast went on all night, I’m sure half of the palace is still in bed.”

“Of course,” Myungjun said with satisfaction. “That’s why we have to slip out _now_ before everyone else wakes up.”

“I...I will wait until you have left before watering the plants,” Sanha said, bowing once more and slipping through the door before Myungjun could say another word to him.

“Sanha and Minhyuk hid their relationship from me for nearly ten years,” Myungjun said with a pout. “I only found out they were together when I caught them in the garden.”

“Maybe they weren’t ready to tell you,” Jinwoo chortled.

“I guess not. But Sanha had been working for me for fifty-three years, and Minhyuk’s known me since I was a baby – I think I should’ve been the first to know!” Myungjun huffed, rising to his feet and tossing one of the folded piles of clothing towards Jinwoo with a vivacious grin. “Come on, get dressed! We need to sneak out before everyone wakes up.”

Jinwoo caught the clothes with a slight fumble and turned away as Myungjun began dressing. “You’ve been sneaking out for awhile, haven’t you?” He asked, hiding a smile as he pulled on the trousers and loose shirt.

“Yes...kind of,” Myungjun’s face flushed a little as he shrugged, starting to walk towards his vanity. “It gets boring around here when you spend every day doing the same thing...and my mother and father don’t like me leaving the palace without my guard, but they just—”

“Myungjun—stop!” Jinwoo shouted in a panic.

Myungjun froze, looking incredibly startled for a moment until he looked at his feet and saw what Jinwoo had almost noticed too late. His iron coin was inches from the prince’s foot, and if he’d moved any further, he might have stepped on it.

Myungjun staggered back, his face pale. For a moment, Jinwoo saw his eyes flash with fire, and sparks blossom at his fingertips. “Get it out of here, Jinwoo.”

Jinwoo only nodded, grabbing the coin off the floor and rushing from Myungjun’s room. His hands trembled as he pulled the door to the guest room open. For a moment, he stood surrounded by the countless blooming flowers, wondering exactly what he should do. For a moment, he thought about pitching it out the window and into the branches of the great tree. Nobody would touch it there – and Jinwoo would never have its protection again if he desperately needed it again.

Besides, he reasoned, clenching his fist around the coin. He didn’t know what a loose piece of iron could do to Tír na nÓg. It might do nothing, but it also might do more damage than he could imagine. It was the Fae’s greatest weakness, after all.

Finding an empty snuffbox in one of the dressers, he tugged it open and dropped the coin inside. It didn’t have a lock on it, so he stuffed it into a drawer that did. He removed key and hid it beneath one of the flowerpots lining the edge of the room. He let out a shaky breath and pressed his hands to his face. He’d just let go of the one thing that could protect him in Tír na nÓg for the sake of a prince he’d spent the night with. While the thought made him tremble, the image of Myungjun’s flaming eyes was imprinted in his memory. He knew it must’ve been a fearful reaction, but it reminded Jinwoo of exactly what he was dealing with. Myungjun’s hands might’ve held warmth and the electric touch of his magic felt good now that he was used to it, but he was still a very powerful Faerie. He could likely rip Jinwoo to pieces before he could beg for mercy.

And yet, he wasn’t afraid of him. Jinwoo massaged his forehead tiredly, trying to make sense of that. Instead of fear filling his chest at the thought of Myungjun, there was instead warmth and fascination. He resisted the urge to dig the snuffbox back out and pray.

“Jinwoo...?”

He jumped, letting out a quiet laugh to himself when he saw Sanha.

“Are you alright?” The servant gave him a gentle smile, the bowl of effervescent water clutched in his arms.

“I think so,” Jinwoo managed to get out, running a hand through his bangs and smiling. “Watering the plants?”

“Yeah,” Sanha nodded, his cheeks tinted pink. “Um...sorry for...walking in...”

It was Jinwoo’s turn to blush – because truthfully, he hadn’t wanted it mentioned. He was still trying to process the fact that he’d even spent the night in Myungjun’s bed.

“Can I ask you something?” Jinwoo resisted the urge to massage his temples once more.

“Sure,” Sanha said, stepping over to some of the plants and drawing water from the bowl with a wave of his hand. It showered like rain over the flowers, leaving them shiny with dew.

“How do you know if someone put a spell on you?”

Sanha peered over his shoulder with a confused frown, as though it was a terribly odd question. Jinwoo supposed it was.

“You forget things,” Sanha finally said, turning to shower more rain over the flowers. “You can’t remember half of what you did while you were enchanted.”

“What about illusions? What if someone’s tricking you?”

Sanha’s lips thinned as he turned to face Jinwoo. His fingertips were white where they clutched the bowl. “You know when you ask the right questions. The prince is not deceiving you.”

Jinwoo was stunned that Sanha had picked up on his worries. “Is there something he’s not telling me?” If asking the right questions would provide an answer for why Jinwoo was so enamoured by the prince, he would glean as much information out of Sanha as he could.

But the servant shifted, looking visibly uncomfortable now. “Jinwoo, the prince doesn’t share everything with me. If there’s something you want to know, you need to ask him yourself.”

_The Fae don’t lie,_ Jinwoo reminded himself.

“Trust him, Jinwoo. He likes you. Maybe that’s a difficult concept for humans to understand. I don’t know. You’re the first human I’ve ever met,” Sanha smiled softly, turning once more to draw more water from his bowl.

“I just don’t understand how a—” _Faerie_, he almost said, but saved himself at the last second. “How a prince like him could like a human like me.”

“And most days, I don’t understand how a wise, ancient dryad could like a naiad whose spring is so small it can fit in a bowl,” Sanha said with a gentle laugh, clutching the bowl a little tighter. “And yet, Minhyuk loves me.”

Jinwoo smiled softly, thinking he may have known exactly why someone like Minhyuk had chosen Sanha as his partner. There was a sweetness to him Jinwoo hadn’t seen in the other Fae he’d met. Perhaps it was his youth – or perhaps it was that nameless, yet subtle thing about him that made Jinwoo feel at ease.

“You’re a big help, Sanha,” Jinwoo said with a little bow, watching the naiad’s cheeks flush brilliant pink.

“I just do my work,” Sanha sputtered, but he looked honoured all the same. “Have a good time with the prince today.”

Jinwoo nodded, retreating from the room once more. Myungjun was leaning against the window frame of the spire, staring out at the distant meadows. He looked up when Jinwoo existed the room, his expression brightening.

“You took your time,” he said with a grin.

“Sanha came in,” Jinwoo admitted, shrugging his shoulders. “I wanted to speak with him a little.”

“Did you get rid of it?”

It took Jinwoo a moment to remember what Myungjun had meant. He felt a chill in his stomach at the rough expression on the prince’s face.

“I put it in a snuffbox and locked it in a drawer,” Jinwoo answered. “I don’t think I can dispose of it in Tír na nÓg.”

“Do you really still think someone’s going to hurt you here?” Myungjun questioned, tilting his had to the side as he folded his arms over his chest.

“No,” Jinwoo said, and realized he was being honest about that. “I don’t want anyone else to stumble on to it by accident. If I ever go home, I’ll bring it back with me.”

Myungjun didn’t respond, but there was a glint in his eyes. Jinwoo realized a moment later that he’d used the word _if_ instead of _when_. His stomach turned upside down.

“I want to show you my favourite place,” Myungjun said, the smile returning to his face. “But you have to promise to keep it a secret.”

“I will,” Jinwoo promised.

Myungjun grinned and grabbed his hand, pulling him down the stairs. His pace was fast, but Jinwoo had little trouble keeping up. The prince glanced around corners before he was yanking Jinwoo along once more, leading the way to an unknown location as they snuck through the palace halls. Jinwoo couldn’t help but grin, remembering the days of his childhood when he would sneak out of the village with the other kids when the parents weren’t watching.

Myungjun knew his route well, and soon he was lifting a grate into a tiny hole beneath the palace wall. He gestured for Jinwoo to go first, and after a moment of hesitation, he’d squeezed himself through and into an old, stone tunnel. Myungjun clambered in after him. Fireflies slid from his fingertips, lighting their path as Myungjun led him into the darkness.

“Nobody remembers why this was built,” Myungjun admitted. “But I think I might be the only one aside from Minhyuk who knows this tunnel exists. He showed me when he believed I was old enough to take care of myself.”

“It goes right out of the palace, doesn’t it?” Jinwoo asked, falling into step next to Myungjun.

He nodded his head and grinned. “It leads out next to a river in the meadows – so I’ve always thought that maybe this used to be an underground spring.”

Jinwoo nodded, appreciating that theory.

The tunnel was long, but Myungjun and his fireflies were keeping him company. Curiously, he poked at one of the flickering balls of light, watching it dance away from him like a shy child. He caught Myungjun smiling at him, and Jinwoo felt his cheeks warm.

“Sorry,” he said, turning away.

“No,” Myungjun reached out and grabbed his hand, entwining their fingers. “That was really cute.”

Jinwoo laughed softly, feeling his cheeks burn even hotter. The prickle of magic was sliding up his arm again. He gently squeezed Myungjun’s hand, enjoying the sensation of his smooth skin against his rough palm.

The fireflies flickered out as light trickled from above. Myungjun squeezed himself through a narrow, rocky passage. Jinwoo followed, though with a little bit of difficulty, and his feet squished into a patch of mud and marsh grass. The river was shallow and slow moving, but it was as clear as the sky above their heads. A large, pink blossoming tree clung to a hill at the edge of the marsh, its branches stretching far out above the water.

Myungjun caught his hand again and pulled him towards the tree. Jinwoo admired it as he approached, the sweet scent of the blossoms making him feel giddy.

“This is my favourite tree in all of Tír na nÓg,” Myungjun said, pulling him up the hill. “Maybe it’s not so much of a secret to some, but to me, it’s special. It’s always so peaceful here, and it’s far enough away from the Summer Court that most people don’t come here.”

“It’s beautiful,” Jinwoo breathed, watching the view of the marsh grow more awestriking the further up the hill they went. Colourful birds sang in the swaying grasses. Frogs peeped among the lotus flowers, and not an ounce of mud tainted the crystal waters. Jinwoo didn’t think he’d ever breathed air so fresh.

Myungjun sat down at the tree’s roots, pulling Jinwoo down next to him. “I’m happy you like it,” he said, leaning up against his side.

He had to admit to himself that it was an understatement. He could scarcely remember a time he’d appreciated the beauty of the mortal world. Perhaps it was because when he was mature enough to enjoy it, he spent all of his time within the stone walls of the smithy, sweating the day away as he pounded horseshoes and sharpened scythes.

“There’s nothing like this back home,” Jinwoo said quietly, feeling Myungjun shift beside him. A silence spread between them. Jinwoo closed his eyes, wanting to sleep in it and never move from this spot again. Two birds sang a duet on a branch above them, and Jinwoo smiled.

Myungjun’s hand touched his cheek, and Jinwoo turned to face him. The prince’s expression was soft, and surprisingly vulnerable. Jinwoo laid his hand over the one on his cheek and squeezed it gently.

“Do you want to go home?” Myungjun asked, and Jinwoo realized he didn’t have an answer to that anymore. Going back to the mortal world meant giving this up – it meant leaving Myungjun behind. He would never again see a landscape so beautiful, it would make an artist weep for more paints.

“No,” Jinwoo said, though his heart ached for his family. They would be grieving him now, along with the rest of the village. He’d truly been taken by Tír na nÓg. Returning to the bland, difficult world of mortals would only make him long for what he’d left behind.

Myungjun’s lips pressed against his, and Jinwoo pulled him into his arms. Magic filled him, and Jinwoo had no interest in stopping it. He embraced it, pulling Myungjun tighter against himself as he licked between plush, pink lips, drawing out a breathless moan.

Though there might’ve been Faerie eyes watching them from the marsh, he made love to the prince once more beneath the sweet blossoms of the tree.


End file.
